Apply for Fellowships

We encourage our graduate students to apply for competitively awarded research fellowships as part of their education and career development. In addition to extra training, resources and career-building opportunities, a fellowship bestows a certain amount of prestige on the student—and on Duke—for being identified as a top scholar.

For Doctoral Students

If you have specific questions about a doctoral fellowship, please contact the organization providing the opportunity. If you would like to see a fellowship added to this page, please contact Sara Faust.

Fellowships for Underrepresented Students

** Disclaimer: The information below is intended only as an overview. Please check current requirements on each organization's website before applying. **

NSF Fellowship: Graduate Research Diversity Supplements

The establishment of Graduate Research Diversity Supplements (GRDS) reflects the continuing effort by ENG to promote increased participation of new Ph.D. students in all fields of engineering research with particular emphasis on individuals from underrepresented minorities in the U.S.

UNCF • Merck Graduate Science Research Dissertation Fellowships

The UNCF/Merck Science Initiative (UMSI) provides undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral support to outstanding African-American students who are pursuing studies and research careers in biological and chemical sciences.

Eligibility: To be considered, students must be African American (Black), enrolled in a doctoral program, engaged in and within 1-3 years of completing dissertation having successfully completed all qualifying exams and a citizen of permanent resident of the US.

Award size: Awards up to $52,000. In 2010 at least 12 fellowships were awarded. Each fellowship provides up to a maximum of $52,000, which includes a stipend of up to $42,000 for the Fellow and a Research Grant of up to $10,000 to support the research needs of the Fellow. The fellowship stipend is intended to cover from 12-24 months of fellowship tenure. A maximum of $30,000 in stipend may be received in any 12 month period.

Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs

Through its Fellowship Programs, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity.

Eligibility: To be considered, students must be a citizen or national of the US and have evidence of a superior academic achievement. Applicants should also be committed to a career in teaching or research in a college or university.

Merit-Based Private Fellowships

** Disclaimer: The information below is intended only as an overview. Please check current requirements on each organization's website before applying. **

IBM Ph.D. Fellowship Program

The IBM Ph.D. Fellowship Awards Program is an intensely competitive worldwide program, which honors exceptional Ph.D. students who have an interest in solving problems that are important to IBM and fundamental to innovation in many academic disciplines and areas of study.

Eligibility: Students must be nominated by a faculty member. The faculty member is encouraged to contact an IBM colleague prior to submitting the nomination. The student must be enrolled full time in a Ph.D. program.

Hertz Foundation Fellowship

The Graduate Fellowship Award is based on merit (not need) and consists of a cost-of-education allowance and a personal-support stipend.

Eligibility: Open to US citizens and permanent resident aliens who are willing to morally commit to make their skills available to the United States in time of national emergency. We screen fellowship applicants for qualities the Foundation believes are essential ingredients of future professional accomplishment. read more

Government Fellowships

** Disclaimer: The information below is intended only as an overview. Please check current requirements on each organization's website before applying. **

NSF Fellowship: Graduate Research Supplements

These awards are designed to increase participation of new Ph.D. students in all fields of engineering research with particular emphasis on individuals from underrepresented groups. A request for funding of a GRS should be made by the Principal Investigator of an existing ENG award.

Eligibility: Candidates must be US citizens, nationals, or permanent resident aliens and must be newly enrolled in, or planning to pursue the Ph.D. degree in engineering disciplines. Renewal for a second or third year supplement requires a report on the progress of the student toward the Ph.D. degree and availability of funds in the program.

DOE Office of Science Graduate Fellowship Program

The DOE Office of Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE SCGF) program supports outstanding students to pursue graduate training in basic research in areas of physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, computational sciences, and environmental sciences relevant to the Office of Science.

Eligibility: Students must be pursuing a Master's or Ph.D. and demonstrate interest in areas supported by the DOE. Cumulative GPA must be at least 3.3.

Award Size: $35k for living expenses, up to $10.5k for tuition support, $5k for research and travel and accommodations to the annual DOE SCGF Research Conference.

DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship

The DOE CSGF fellowship support allows students to focus on their academics and research without excessive teaching or other departmental support activities.

Eligibility: Students must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien who are planning full-time, uninterrupted study towards a Ph.D. The fellow’s department must waive any teaching requirements beyond one term.

Award Size: yearly stipend $36k, full tuition paid, $5k the first year toward equipment, fellowship is renewable for up to four years. read more

NASA Graduate Student Researchers Project (GSRP)

The goal of NASA’s GSRP is to cultivate additional research ties to the academic community, to help meet the continuing needs of the Nation’s aeronautics and space workforce requirements by increasing the number of highly trained scientists and engineers in aeronautics and space-related disciplines, and to meet the Nation’s need to increase the number of highly trained teachers. The program will support approximately 140 graduate students annually.

Eligibility: Students must be US citizens and have a faculty research adviser (who will be the PI of the Training Grant).

DOD Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship

As a means of increasing the number of U.S. citizens and nationals trained in science and engineering disciplines of military importance, the Department of Defense (DOD) will offer fellowships to individuals who have demonstrated the ability and special aptitude for advanced training in science and engineering.

Eligibility: Students must be US citizens, study in one of the 15 supported disciplines and intend to pursue a doctoral degree.

Graduate Research Award Program on Public Sector Aviation Issues

Project: ACRP11-04. The Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), National Academies, is pleased to announce the Graduate Research Award Program on Public-Sector Aviation Issues. This program, sponsored by the U.S. DOT Federal Aviation Administration and administered by the ACRP, is designed to encourage applied research on airport and related aviation system issues and to foster the next generation of aviation community leaders. Successful papers will be presented at the TRB Annual Meeting; and exceptional papers could be published in a subsequent TRB Transportation Research Record.

Eligibility: Candidates must be full-time students enrolled in a graduate degree program at an accredited North American institution of higher learning during the academic year.

Award Size: $10,000 for successful completion of a research paper on public-sector airport-related aviation issues during the upcoming academic year